As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be completed from a remote location. This process closes safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas.

The BSEE reported during previous hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time.

It 's estimated that approximately 19 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in, which equates to more than 331-thousand barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 18 percent of the natural gas production has been shut-in as well.